Background
Loser, Joseph Carlton was born on October 1, 1892 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Son of Henry J. and Willie M. (McConnico) Loser.
United States representative politician
Loser, Joseph Carlton was born on October 1, 1892 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Son of Henry J. and Willie M. (McConnico) Loser.
He attended public schools and the former Young Men’s Christian Association Law School (now Nashville School of Law). In 1923 he completed the requirements for the LL.
He was secretary to the mayor of Nashville from 1917 to 1920 and was admitted to the bar in 1922. B. degree at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. In 1923 Loser became assistant city attorney for Nashville, and in 1929 he became an assistant district attorney.
He became district attorney for the former 10th Circuit, a position he held from 1934 until 1956.
He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1944, 1956, and 1960. In 1956, 5th District Congressman Percy Priest died a month before the election.
This was tantamount to victory a month later, as no Republican had been elected to Congress from Nashville since Reconstruction. He was re-elected in 1958 and 1960, and served from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1963.
In August, 1962 Loser had seemingly been renominated for a fourth term.
However, an investigation into the primary election revealed serious irregularities. However, it was largely the instigation of a minor candidate, iron worker and labor union activist Raymond Love, that caused a re-examination of the primary by the Nashville Tennessean. The Tennessean ran stories on its front page indicating a pattern of serious voter fraud, and a lawsuit was filed.
The number of votes in question would not have in any event been adequate to have caused the election of Love, but could possibly have been enough to have thrown the election of Fulton.
Love, stating that his only desire was one for a clean, honest election in any case, withdrew from the primary, which was rerun by court order. In the second primary, conducted under close scrutiny, Fulton defeated Loser decisively and went on to be elected that fall and to seven subsequent terms.
Loser withdrew from public life after his defeat. Loser died on July 31, 1984 (age 91 years, 304 days) in Nashville.
He is interred at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Nashville, Tennessee.
Delaware Democratic National Convention, 1944-1952, 60. Secretary Tennessee Democratic Executive Committee Member Tennessee National Guard, 1910, United States Coast Guard Reserve (T), 1944. Member International Typographical Union, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Masons (32 degree, Knights Templar, Shriner).
Married Pearl D. Gupton, January 25, 1915. Children: Dorothy D. (Mistress Paul Storey), Margy A. (Mistress Don Gass), Joseph Carlton.